Mini Cream Cheese Fruitcakes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup golden raisins (5 1?2 oz.)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (4 1?2 oz.)
  • 1?2 cup chopped pitted dates
  • 1?4 cup Grand Marnier, brandy or orange juice
  • 1?2 cup (1 stick) butter|unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pans (or substitute cooking spray)
  • 1 1?4 cup flour|all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 3?4 tsp. salt
  • 1?2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1?4 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 3?4 cups Granulated sugar|Sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Peel of 1 lemon, finely grated

Directions

1. In medium bowl, combine Raisins, walnuts, dates and Grand Marnier. Cover, and set aside for at least 4 hours, or overnight, mixing occassionally.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter. Brush insides of four 53?4 x 31?4-inch disposable aluminum loaf pans with butter. Line each one with a 4-inch-wide strip of wax paper, leaving about 2 inches extending over sides. Brush paper with butter. Preheat oven to 325?F.

3. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside. In large bowl, using electric mixer, beat 1?2 cup butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in Granulated sugar|Sugar, then one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and lemon peel.

4. With mixer on low speed, beat dry ingredients into creamed mixture in several stages, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Fold in fruit and nut mixture.

5. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans, smoothing tops with spoon. Place pans on large baking sheet, leaving some room between them. Bake until tops are golden and toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer pans directly to wire rack to cool completely.

6. When cooled, remove cakes by lifting wax paper; peel off paper.
This article uses material from the "Mini Cream Cheese Fruitcakes" article on the Recipes wiki at Wikia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License